Jaded No More

Oh, it's not my bandwagon, it's Stef's... I'm just driving it for him

Ummm... ok I'm sorry but is Des Headland really in Freo's leadership group? Oh my! And if you know your players are idiots, why go and make it publicly known on radio??

No doubt, what Bock did is criminal. However, Bock's behaviour does not reflect on the AFC, just as Sylvia's stupidity is not a reflection on our club. Given that this Freo thing involves a large number of players just speaks volumes about the state of that club.

Are you serious? These morons are 0-4, and instead of concentrating on their football, they are pulling stupid stunts? It doesn't matter what they were dresses as, the point is, they are idiots to have embroiled their club in controversy... or perhaps it's a diversion tactic from their terrible on-field performances? If I was a Docker supporter I would throw my membership, and several sharp objects, at the club and walk away. Fremantle are just lucky that they have loyal fans and a good financial base. Imagine if they were a Victorian team, they'd be out on their arse in no time. That club is an embarrassment to our great game!

Add Bell and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse may live on after all!

I'll have three of his babies if he plays QB (mind you, if the kids get my genes get ready for mini Godfreys- slow plodders who lack skills but try really really hard ).

I've only just gotten around to watch the reply, and have admittedly only watched the first half thus far, but Newton's field kicking is ordinary and some of his decision making was awful yesterday. I'm not trying to knock him down for the sake of an argument, but he has so many deficiencies (marking is his only strength) which I truly can't see him ever overcoming. Perhaps he'll prove me wrong the way Miller proved a lot of our supporters wrong, and I hope he does, but in the meantime I'm sticking with my "won't make it" assessment.

Was a weak report to begin with, and a usual over-reaction from the umpire. By the way, was I the only one who nearly threw up when bloody McLaren popped up in the game when the other umpire went down? That idiot just will not go away. And of course the AFL are not taking any action against him, although he clearly fended off a Collingwood player during the match!

To be fair, we hit the post 4 times in a row. Had we converted those opportunities, we would have comfortably won that first quarter. We definitely started to peak about 15 minutes into the game, and dominated from half way through the first quarter, until about 10 minutes before half time (because we were 'icing' the half-baked cake )

On the replay they were saying that Meesen was given the instruction from Bruce to hold the ball up. When we inevitably turned it over 10 seconds later, Bailey lost his [censored] in the box (well it was the most animated I have ever seen him :D) and then Bruce was taken off. Coincidence perhaps, but not only did Bruce give out the wrong instruction, he also had a hand in successfully screwing the brilliant tactic of shutting the game down with 8 minutes left in the quarter, when we're 30 points up (with a [censored] handball or something along those lines)! Of course this is not a Bruce issue, but it is so incredibly sad to know that our senior players don't have the belief in themselves that they are actually capable of sustaining a winning effort. To 'ice a game' before half time is idiotic to the extreme when you are smashing your opponent. It is only a valid option when you are having a mountain of goals kicked against you, and you're trying to stop the bleeding. Then that tactic has merit, although again, if you cannot execute it properly chances are you'll only contribute to a bigger loss.

IMO he is actually the best on-field leader we have, and he does work harder than most because being stranded in a forwardline that often gets [censored] or no delivery, is very tough. Especially when he is often double-teamed. He always manages to somehow get into the match, even when the game is going against us, and you know you'll get a contest from him every single time, whether he can or can't mark the ball coming his way. That he ran the length of the ground to punch that ball through in the dying minutes of the match just shows how desperate he is to help out the team. I know he is probably not a good enough player, but I honestly wouldn't be surprised if he was made captain next season (although I'm still firmly on Brock's bandwagon!). He just embodies everything I hope to see in a footballer in terms of character.

We were up by 30 odd points and there was 10 minutes left OF THE SECOND QUARTER. What a completely stupid thing to do, when you know your team is hardly skilled enough to manage a whole 10 minutes without turning the ball over. Glad it was not a Bailey directive, and if Bruce indeed got dragged for it, even better. Completely unnecessary thing to do when we've got a healthy break on the opposition, the quarter is going our way, and there is still a half to go. I can understand why we tried it in the last, given the Tigers had the momentum, and we were running out of legs (having lost Green early). It's a shame though that our skills are not up to it, and hence we completely screwed it up. But we'll get better at not panicking, and at keeping off.

29,035!!!! Just 965 to go

I'd say Garland's injury, in terms of hurting our structure and development of the backline, is our most telling (not to mention the possible complications of such a delicate injury, which has ruined the career of another great defender). Not that Green's loss is not huge either. Both are horrendous losses for a team that could ill afford to lose any class players. By the way, can we please not mention the name Rivers and injury in the same sentence?! You'll jinx it! 6.5 games and counting... :D

I love a good priority pick as much as anyone, but today's game was one of only a handful where we actually had a chance of winning, so yes, I was very keen for a victory. It's nice for the young boys, and in fact for the whole team, to get a reward early in the season and a bit of a boost. It validates their hard work, and it gives supporters hope. From here on in, we have a very tough run of games and the possibility of winning before the mid-season break is slim. So enjoy today, and cherish it. It's going to be a long while before we get to celebrate another win.

I love that we can barely hit a target by hand or by foot, but we manage to hit the post FOUR bloody times in a row. Amazing

I'm sensing a theme, and I hear Chris Judd is dying for a groupie Many thanks.

Thanks for the visual! Matty Whelan called and said he wants his ring back by the way Bennell's ball-on-a-shoestring display on the boundary had Andrew McLeod written all over it. Speeeeeeecial!

Is that a "oh my god I want Bennell's babies" or "oh my god I want Bennell gone from the team"??

Freudian slip? He has improved, no doubt, but it's been 5 years, so good on him for finally pulling the finger out. However, most can acknowledge that he won't make it, so a pat on the back and thanks for playing. Next.

An out and out star, who I feel desperately sorry for. If I was him, I'd kill every single one of my teammates for constantly kicking the ball over his head, at his feet, or worse, ignoring his leads altogether. Richmond are woeful, but it is not just Terry Tan's fault. Their recruiting, their list management, their player development, and indeed their players have all failed massively. Once club cannot got every aspect of its on-field management wrong, and then blame it all on the coach. I hate Terry Wallace as much as the next guy, but he is just one chink in a massive chain of poo.

I would classify Port Adelaide as a better (read: actually capable of not sucking) side. Finally the Davey-to-midfield experiment is starting to pay off. It looked like a lost cause by Round 2 this year, but something had obviously clicked and finally it's all starting to make sense.

"You see that big wide hole in here, that's for Jack. Sure he isn't playing yet, but it's all about being competitively aware of the fact that when he comes into the team I want you all to [censored] off and give the great man his space. Start practicing now" Team song video is pure gold. Absolutely fantastic to see that passion. Brock's smile on the way to the change room says it all really.

Fools gold indeed. Can take the odd mark here and there, but he played against rubbish today, and I saw him fluff at least one contest where he really should have gone in harder. Maybe that's just the way he goes about it, but he always seems like he couldn't care less about anything but his own performance. Lazy or bored, or maybe both? Will stay in the side for now, and hopefully we can pump up his tires a bit and maybe the Gold Coast will have a nibble in 2010? I should add that, to his credit, he has gotten a lot better with his defensive pressure.

Agreed. He makes terrible decisions under pressure, and his disposal is bad both by hand and foot. On the upside he is very quick and a good shut-down player. Still, drop him and bring in Grimes. (And Maric in for Greeny)